Miss Sunday Observer for a worthy cause:

Helping visually impaired children

By Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

She is young and suave and nursed a dream to contribute to the betterment of society, especially children who have been physically debilitated by blindness. Perhaps she may have nurtured this desire after joining the Girl Guides Association of Sri Lanka. She is none other than Shimalka Bodaragama who has two accolades to her credit.

She won the first runner-up title at the Derana Miss Sri Lanka contest and the Miss “Sunday Observer” title this year. She visited the Deaf and Blind School in Ratmalana last week determined to help visually handicapped children.

Shimalka completed her first year in B.A. Fashion designing at The Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology. “I have another two more years to complete my study program. l started a men’s shirt wear line when I completed my first year in fashion designing. I used to send around 30 shirts for a month to the USA where my aunt live. But I don’t do it anymore because my intention is to start a boutique in Sri Lanka. “ she said.

Shimalka is involved in several other social service projects as well. She teaches English, handicraft and art to underprivileged children between the ages of two and four at the Mahabodhi Trust in Maradana. She has now began to work with the Girl Guides Association of Sri Lanka and wants to play a bigger role in helping the needy.

“While at school I was a girl guide. So I am quite familiar with the place,” she said. Shilmalka began her career in 2006 after joining SriLankan airlines as a stewardess and worked in that capacity for two and a half years.

Soon after leavingv school, she took to fashion designing but found it difficult to concentrate on her studies due to the pressure of work. “It wasn’t easy for me to study while I wash flying. I used to do all my homework while flying to different destinations. Any way it was a good experience for me.” Following in her footsteps was her older sister, who joined SriLanka Airlines as a flight stewardess during those years. “I used to collect fabric while visiting different countries and started my own fashion label in designing. I lived in the USA for six months and worked with my aunt.” she said. Shimalka has two older sisters. One lives in Melbourne, while the other will move away to France after marriage. However, she prefers to live and work in Sri Lanka. At the Deaf and Blind School in Ratmalana, we witnessed visually handicapped children being coached by their teachers. There were 50 young children in two groups being taught nursery rhymes.

The classes were held every Wednesday afternoon for them, said the Guiding Teacher Sumana Pathirana. She said several thousands of students have passed out from the Deaf and Blind School over the years. “There are several blind students from this school who have graduated from Peradeniya, Kelaniya and the Sri Jayawardenapura universities. At least two to three blind students enter universities every year. After graduation they find employment as teachers and at the Social Service department. There are almost 150 physically handicapped children and 27 teachers at the Deaf and Blind School.

Hostel facilities are also available for these children. Shimalka showed compassion towards the children by joining them and singing nursery rhyms in the school playground. “We are blessed with beauty and everything. We have our parents, our sight and can do anything. So it is our duty to help the less fortunate and physically handicapped people. Guiding teacher A.M.D. Lalitha said some children are partially blind while others were completely blind. The children in the school are from Grade 3 -6 classes, she said.

The Deaf and Blind School in Sri Lanka was started by an Anglican missionary, named Mary Chapman almost a century ago with two schoolchildren. The then philanthropist A.J.R. De Soysa donated six acres of land for the school. Although the Deaf and the Blind School was housed in one building, in 1948 the Deaf school was separated from the Blind school. The centenary celebrations of the Deaf and Blind school falls in July next year.